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Brief Synopsis

Just as Justice Department member Capt. Bill Carson, known as "Lightning Bill" Carson, is about to leave for a fishing trip, he receives word from his sister Katherine that his nephew, Paul Smith, has disappeared and is accused of stealing a bank shipment. Hoping to learn the truth, Bill leaves his San Francisco office for the Western town in which the robbery took place and disguises himself as a Mexican. At first even Katherine and Sally, Paul's sweetheart, don't recognize him, but he soon reveals himself to them and says that he plans to pretend that he is "Jose Fernandez" while he secretly investigates the case. Meanwhile, Paul, who was wounded when the real robbers stole the money from him, hides while trying to find his own evidence. Pretending that Jose is a gambler, Bill goes to a local cafe where he is invited into a backroom poker game with the same outlaws who robbed Paul. They are suspicious of him, but think that "Jose" might someday come in handy, although one of the gang members, who has a fistfight with "Jose," is strongly against him. Soon they recruit him for the gang and, after he has promised to exchange the bad bank money for "clean" new bills in Mexico, they ask him to join them in another robbery. Because Sally accidentally smiles in recognition at Bill in town, one of the gang members tells the "Boss," and they plot to capture Bill. After the robbery, as the men, including Bill, gather to wait for the boss, Bill is unmasked. Although the boss, who turns out to be the bank's head cashier, Ross, tries to fight him, Bill captures them with the help of Paul, who was secretly nearby. Finally, as Bill and Paul are about to go on a fishing trip, an urgent telegram arrives about a new assignment, but Bill refuses to consider it until they return.